Apparatus for removing snow.



Patented Jan. 23, I900. R. SHIBREFFS.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW.

(Application filed Mar. 24, 1899.)

2 SheetsSheet I.

(No Model.)

I lllbhllLxl imizfor,

ext/5km" %w. 9% n2 THE scams PETERS co PHOTQ-LITHO, \vAsmucn'on, u c

N0. 64l,804. Patented Jan. 23, I900.

R. SHIRREFFS.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW.

(Application filed Mar. 24, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' (No Model.)

ms NORRIS wzrzas cu. PHOTO-H1110" WASH parts and an improved mode of operation in UNITED STATES I PATENT QFFIUZ- REUBEN SI-IIRREFFS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,804, dated January 23, 1900.

Application filed March 24, 1 8 99.

To aZZ whom it may cancer-1t:

Be it known that I, REUBEN SHIRREFFS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Snow; of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for removing snow of the type disclosed in my application for Letters Patent, filed February 23, 1899, 'Serial No. 706,583-- that is, an apparatus wherein the snow re moved from streets or railroad-tracks is compacted into a more or less dense mass, as may be desired.

The objects of my present inventionare, first, to provide new and improved means for compressing the snow; second, to provide improved means for delivering the snow to compressing mechanism, and, third, to provide novel combinations and arrangement of snow-removing apparatus.

To these ends said invention consists in the new snow-compressing device and new construction, arrangement, combination, and mode of operation of parts thereof, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a snow-removing apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail of the reversible snow-shovel and means for locking the samel Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4. is'a detail side View of a different arrangement of snow-compressing chain. Fig. 5 is a partial face thereof; Fig. 6, a detail of a different means for directing snow to the active parts of the apparatus; and Fig. 7 is a detail of another arrangement of sectional chain.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates the framework of the apparatus, provided with axles 2, carrying traveling wheels 3.

As shown, the apparatus is capable of removing snow irrespective of which end thereof is forward in travel, and I have illustrated two different constructions of means for guiding or directing the snow into the path of the active elements of the machine,

Serial No. 710,307. (No model.)

bracket or support E, in which the conveng tionally-shown conical brush A is journaled. I contemplate constructing the body of the brush with metallic or other suitable bristles or pins, leaving the extreme points thereof devoid of such bristles or pins to facilitate entrance into the snow.

In what may be found a preferred form, as illustrated in Fig. 3, I have provided curved stationary guide or director plates 4, secured to the said side members 1 of the frame, the free ends of said plates'projecting in front of the machine and extending laterally beyond the traveling wheels.'

Either species of means for directing or guiding the snow to the middle of the machine may be used with facility, and either maybe preferred, according to different conditions of snow to be removed.

The depending side members of the frame prevent the escape of the snowlaterally from beneath the apparatus and confine it, so that in the forward travel of the apparatus it is held in the path of and caught by the reversible shovel 5, mounted in the framework in cooperative relation to the hereinafter-described snow compressing or densifying mechanism. This snow-shovel 5 is-adapted to be reversed in position,as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l-of the drawings, so that it may shovel the snow to the compressing mechanism irrespective of which end of the machine is forward in travel. Said shovel is reversed by means of a suitable handle 6, connected with its shaft, and is locked in its several positions by a suitable locking means, such as that illustrated, wherein the handle is provided with a pin to seat in either of a series of sockets 7, formed in the machine-frame.

It will be apparent that the shovel may be adjusted on its axis to take up more or less snow during the one transit of the apparatus, as may be preferred or rendered necessary under peculiar circumstances, and be locked in its position of adjustment by the means described.

Extending transversely of the apparatus on both sides or in advance and in rear of the shovel 5 are snow-levelers 8, which serve to prevent passage of snow into the active parts of the apparatus above the level of the axles 2 of the traveling wheels 3, and thus avoid the possibility of the parts becoming clogged or choked.

The snow-compressing mechanism is composed of a plurality of members consisting of endless link chains 9, a pair of such chains being shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These chains are trained upon many-sided shafts 10, those in the drawings being hexagonal. The upper shafts of each set are arranged nearer together than the lowerones, whereby the space between the linked chains is greater at the lower or entrance end than at the upper or delivery end, providing a converging chamber or space 11 between said chains. It will be seen that each side of said shafts are equal to the width of the several links composing the chains, said links snugly fitting such sides, and that the rotation of said shafts compels the travel of the chains. The shafts composing one set are mounted on their axles, so that they are unsymmetrical with the corresponding shafts of the other set, as shown, in order that the snow-lifters formed on or carried by the chains 9 and which preferably are in the form of paddles or ribs 12 are also disposed in unsymmetrical relation. This arrangement results in the lifters 12 of one chain overlying the lifters of the other chain when they pass each other in the snowcompressing area, so that when the snow is compressed and is being carried to the point of delivery the lifters of one chain will serve to detach or lift out the compressed or densified snow from the face of the links of the other chain. I consider this unsymmetrical arrangement of the snow-lifters an advantage and a distinctive feature of invention whether the snow-compressing mechanism be chains or otherwise. The opposing faces of said chains are compelled to travel in converging paths, carrying the snow up between them and compressing or compacting it by two converging series of supporting rollers or devices 13, journaled in the side extensions 14 of the framework.

Arranged in juxtaposition to the upper pair of the many-sided shafts 10 are receiving-tables 15, upon which the snow compacted by the endless chains is delivered somewhat in a cake form, since, it will be observed, the overlapping relatively contiguous lifter-paddles 12 of the chains will serve to separate the compacted snow during its transit between said chains into a cake -like form.

These receiving-tables are inclined, as shown, so that the snow may be delivered therefrom by gravity to the platform 16 of the machine. Such tables may be inclined to the side to deliver the snow to the side of the apparatus or into the attending wagons for conveying it away.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the lifting and compressing chains, the lifting-paddles thereof, and the many-sided shafts over which they are trained extend continuously transversely of the machine or from side to side thereof.

This construction may be altered with some advantage by forming the shafts in sections 10, rigidly secured to or formed with their axles, each section of each shaft being arranged unsymmetrically with respect to its neighbor and the sections of one upper and lower set of shafts in unsymmetrical relation to the sections of the opposing upper and lower set of shafts. In this arrangement the chains are formed in sections 9 transversely of the machine, each section of the chain trained upon the corresponding sections of upper and lower shafts, as in Fig.7 of the drawings. The lifting-paddles 12 are so positioned on the links of the chain that they extend in the same line across the machine. The advantage of this arrangement is that the paddles draw out from the compressed snow at the delivery end of the chains one section at a time, facilitating largely the delivery of the compressed snow. I contemplate also a further development of this sectional construction, wherein, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the sectional paddles 12" are so positioned on the chains that they are in staggered relation wit-h respect to adjacent paddle-sections. This arrangement of snow-lifters serves to furthersubdivide the compressed mass into small blocks or, in other words, to disintegrate the compressed or densified mass and facilitate the free delivery from the chains, avoiding the possibility of clinging to the links of the chains. I consider the sectional arrangement of devices of much utility and a distinct element of my invention, whether the snow-compressing mechanism be chains, as in the accompanying drawings, cylinders, as in my aforesaid application for Letters Patent, or of other suitable character.

My invention provides apparatus in which the snow is freely delivered to compressingchains, thoroughly compacted or densified, and discharged with much certainty to the receiving-tables.

The axles of the shafts 10 10 project laterally and carry the intermeshing drivingwheels 17, which are in turn driven by the gears 18, carried on the axles of the traveling wheels and shiftable into and out of mesh with the wheels 17 by means of any suitable shifting device, such as that shown, wherein the gears 18 are provided with hubs l9, having grooves 20, receiving a yoke or fork 21, having an operating-handle 22, and in the construction illustrated in Fig. 6 the shift- ICC compressing-chains are caused to move in the same direction-vertically in the example shown. It is designed that the chains shall be driven from the rear traveling wheel, and the gearing is adapted to be shifted to admit of this irrespective of which end is forward in movement.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description of the construction and arrangement of parts, but may be summarized as follows: In the forward travel of the machine the snow is caught by the conical rotating brushes or the curved guides or director-plates and delivered into the path of and is taken up by the reversible snow-shovel, which guides it into the receiving end of the converging chamber formed by the endless lifting and compressing chains, by and between which it is carried up and compressed, supported by the converging series of rollers, the greatest compression being attained near the top of the converging chamber. During the compression the snow is divided into cake-like form and is then delivered by chains into the receiving tables. In the arrangement of compressing-chains shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the snow is further subdivided into small blocks, increasing the facility of discharge by the chains.

While I have shown an apparatus embodying my invention, in which the snow-compressing mechanism is driven from the traveling wheels of the apparatus, I desire it understood that I do not limit my invention to such arrangement, contemplating, as I do, the employment, if desired, of separate driving power for the compressing mechanism in order that the speed of travel of the chains may be varied with respect to that of the apparatus, and recognizing that other changes in detail of construction and arrangement may be made without departing from my invention it is to be understood that otherwise than asstated in the following clauses of claim I do not confine myself to such details.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising snow-compressing chains provided with snow-lifters, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising snow-=compressing chains-provided with devices to lift and cut the snow, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising snow-compressing mechanism, carrying unsymmetrically-arranged snow-lifters, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing chains, of unsymmetrical snow-lifters carried thereby, substantially as described.

i 5. In an apparatusfor removing snow, the combination with many-sided shafts, of snowcompressing chains trained thereon and driven thereby, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with sets of unsymmetricallyarranged many-sided shafts, of snow-compressing chains carrying snow-lifters trained on said shafts, substantially as described.

7. An apparatus for compressing snow, comprising unsymmetrically-arranged chain carrying and driving shafts, substantially as described.

8. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising a shaft having unsymmetrically-arranged sections, substantially as described.

9. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising snow-com pressing mechanism consisting of opposing chains each composed of sections carrying snow-lifters in staggered relation substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with shafts composed of unsymmetricallyarranged sections, of opposing snow-compressing chains arranged thereon and composed of sections, carrying snow-lifters in staggered relation, substantially as de scribed.

11. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising snow-compressing mechanism consist= ing of a plurality of members each composed of unsymmetrically-arranged sections, carrying snow-lifters in staggered relation, substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing chains provided with snow-lifters, of devices supporting the compressing-faces thereof, sub stantially as described.

13. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing chains provided with snow-lifters, of a converging series of devices supporting the compressingfaces thereof, substantially as described.

14. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing chains provided with snow-lifters, of a converging series of rollers supporting the compressing= faces thereof, substantially as described.

15. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing chains the opposing faces of which move in converging paths and are provided with snow-lifters, of supports for said faces, substantially as described.

16. An apparatus for removing snow, com= prising opposing snow-compressing chains provided with snow-lifters moving in converging paths to gradually compress the snow, substantially as described.

1'7. In apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing mechanism provided with snow-lifters, of a snowshovel which takes the snow from the ground and delivers it to the compressing mechanism, substantially as described.

18. In apparatus for removing snow, the

combination with snow-compressin g mechanism of a reversible snow-shovel arranged to take the snow from the ground and deliver it to the compressing mechanism, irrespective of which end of the apparatus is forward in travel, substantially as described.

19. In apparatus for removing snow, the combination with snow-compressing chains, of a reversible snow-shovel arranged to take the snow from the ground and deliver it to the compressing mechanism, irrespective of which end of the apparatus is forward in motion, substantially as described.

20. An apparatus for removing snow comprising snow-compressing mechanism consisting of opposing chains each composed of sections carrying snow-lifters, substantially as described.

21. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination with shafts composed of unsymmetrically-arranged sections, of opposing snow-compressing chains arranged thereon and composed of sections, carrying snow-lifters, substantially as described.

22. An apparatus for removing snow, comprising snow-compressing mechanism consisting of a plurality of members each composed of unsymmetrically-arranged sections, carrying snow-lifters, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses;

REUBEN SHIRREFFS; Witnesses:

E. C. DE YARMETT, N. B. WooDALL. 

